Sweet Potato and Coconut Milk Soup with Steamed Kale

In case you hadn’t noticed already, I’m officially a die-hard fan of jae steele. Both of her books, Get it Ripe and Ripe from around Here, are must-haves. I just recently purchased Get it Ripe, which is a wonderful cookbook packed with nutritious and delicious recipes, but it also contains a lengthy guide to healthy, vegan living in the front. It’s definitely a refreshing take on veganism in a land of Daiya, Match meat and vegan cupcakes galore. It’s easy to get hooked on blueberry bagels and Tofutti cream cheese (believe me, I know), and jae rushes in with exactly what we all need to get back on track to a healthy lifestyle. Even if you’re happy swimming in a pool of Sweet Temptation cookie dough ice cream, don’t skip the recipes in the second half of the book. One spoonful of this soup will be enough to convince you to go out and buy it (maybe at Herbivore along with the new “Only Kale Can Save Us Now” shirt?).

My version of the soup makes about two servings, but if you’re really hungry, I’d double it and risk having leftovers.

Add water, sweet potatoes, turmeric and sea salt to a medium-size soup pot over high heat. Once boiling, cover and lower heat to medium. Let cook for 8-10 minutes, until sweet potatoes are soft. Remove from heat (do not drain).

Heat coconut oil in a medium skillet over moderate heat. Add the coriander, cumin and cinnamon; stir for 30 seconds. Add the onions and sauté for 7 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger with a splash of water to keep from sticking. Sauté for another five minutes.

Add onion mixture to the original soup pot and stir in the coconut milk and cayenne. Turn off heat. Use a hand blender to puree soup, or transfer soup to a blender or food processor. Reheat soup over medium-low heat. Serve hot with steamed kale on top (recipe below).

Steamed Kale

½ bunch kale, thoroughly washed and roughly chopped

2 tsp. lemon juice

2 tsp. olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

Mix lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper together in a small bowl.

Add 2 to 3 inches of water to a medium saucepan over high heat. Once boiling, add the steamer basket (or a small strainer which can fit in the saucepan — see my make-shift steamer basket below) and cover. Let steam for five minutes. Immediately toss kale with dressing and serve over soup (recipe above).